Rake-cleaner.



H. WBLOH.

RAKE GLEANEB.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.21, 1914.

11 099 901 Patented June 2, 1914.

operative or extended position.

HORACE WELCH, 0F SE-LMA, ALABAMA.

RAKECLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1914:.

Application filed February 21, 1914. Serial No. 820,291.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Honaon 1inch, a citizenof the United States, residing at Selma, in the county of Dallas andState of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBake-Cleaners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in rake cleaners andresides in the provision of such a device which will strip the teeth ofthe rake of trash or other foreign matter in a reliable and expeditiousmanner.

An important object of my invention is to provide a rake cleaner of thecharacter described which will operate as above de scribed to strip theteeth and cleanse the same when the rake handle is; moved into avertical position, and will assume its normal position upon the movementof the rake handle to its usual working position.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a rake cleaner ofthe character described which will automatically move into operative andinoperative position upon the movement of the rake handle in thedifferent positions and which is extremely simple as to construction,reliable and eiiicient in operation and cheap to manufacture.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification and then more,

particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto andform apart of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferredembodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughoutthe several views of which similar reference numeralsdesignate'corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a detail perspective viewshowing my device in assembled position, and Fig. 2 is aside elevationshowing the teeth stripping means in Referring to the drawings thenumeral 1 designates a handle which is fitted within a socket 2 whichcarries spaced arms 3 and 4,

l the free ends of which are secured to the rake head 5. The rake head 5carries the usual teeth 6.

My improved cleaning means comprises a plurality of stripping sleeves 7that are slidable on the teeth 6 and carried by a bar 8 that is arrangedrearwardly of thesleeves in superposed relation thereto.

An arm 9 is pivoted adjacent to one end as at 10 between the arms 3 andl. Carried upon the pivoted end of the arm 9 is an elongated weightmember 11 which normally holds the outer end of the arm in superposedrelation to the head 5 and bar 8. A stop pin 12 is mounted transverselyof and between the arms 3 and a and is arranged to engage the weightportion 11 when the handle 1 is moved into a vertical position withrelation to the ground, as the weight drops toward the forward end ofthe rake, to limit the movement of the weight 11.

The outer end of the arm 9 is connected to an upstanding eye 18 carriedcentrally of the ends of the bar 8 by means of a link 14 thus movementof the arm downwardly between the arms 3 and 4: imparts a downwardmovement to the bar 8 which forces the stripping sleeves 7 downwardlyupon" the teeth 6.

When it is desired to clean the rake teeth 6 the operator moves thehandle 1 of the rake to a vertical or near vertical position so that theweight 11 which normally reposes in engagement with the socket portion 2is permitted to move downwardly thus the arm 9 moves downwardly betweenthe arms 3 and i causing the bar 8 to be moved downwardly and strippingsleeves 7 to slide toward the ends of the teeth 6, thus the trash orother foreign matter which may have collected upon the teeth 6'isremoved therefrom in an expeditious manner. The stop pin 12 engages theweight 11 and prevents the sleeve 7 moving off the ends of the teeth 6as disclosed in Fig. 2 in the drawings. When the handle 1 is moved intothe position that it usually assumes when the rake is to perform itsusual function, the weight 11 drops back into engagement with the socket2 and causes the sleeves 7 to be moved upwardly into engagement with thehead 5 and out of the way of the teeth 6.

It will be readily seen that the device does not in any way interferewith the usual function of the rake and that the cleaning of the teethis accomplished in a most expeditious and reliable manner.

It will be readily seen that I have provided a simple and inexpensiverake cleaner which will operate automatically when the rake handle 1 ismoved in an upright or vertical position to clean the rake teeth.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention,illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, asthe preferred embodiment, is the most efiicient and practical; yetrealizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my devicewill necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minorchanges in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of partsmay be resorted to when required, without sacrificing any of theadvantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A rake cleaner comprising a supporting bar,aplurality of stripping sleeves mounted upon said bar and slidable onthe rake teeth, an arm pivoted on the rake handle and operativelyconnected at one terminal to said supporting bar and means operativelyconnected with said arm for automatically moving said stripping sleevestoward the ends of the rake teeth when the rake handle is moved into anupright position.

2. In a rake cleaner the combination with a rake comprisinga handle,head, and teeth on said head of a supporting bar, a plurality ofstripping sleeves carried on said supporting bar and slidable on saidteeth, an arm pivoted on said handle, one end of said arm beingpivotally connected with said supporting bar, means carried by said armfor automatically moving the stripping sleeves downwardly upon the teethwhen the rake handle is moved into an upright position, and means forlimiting the movement of said arm carried by said handle to preventmovement of the sleeves out of engagement with the teeth.

3. In a rake cleaner the combination with a rake comprising a hand] andhead having teeth thereon of a supporting bar, a plurality of strippingsleeves carried by said supporting bar and slidable on said teeth, anarm pivoted on said handle and operatively connected at one end withsaid supporting bar, a weight member carried upon the other end of saidarm, said pivot for the arm being arrangedintermediate the ends thereof,and means for limiting the movement of the arm carried upon said handleto prevent said stripping sleeves from moving out of engagement with theteeth.

l. The combination with a rake comprising a handle and a head havingteeth thereon, said handle being bifurcated to provide a pair of arms atits secured end, a supporting bar, strip-ping members mounted upon saidbar and operatively connected with said teeth, an arm pivotedintermediate its ends between the arms formed on said handle, one end ofsaid last named arm being operatively connected with said supportingbar, and a weight formed on the other end of said arm.

5. The combination with a rake comprising a handle having a pair ofspaced arms formed at one end and a head having teeth thereonoperatively connected with the ends of said arms of cleaning meanscomprising a supporting bar, a plurality of stripping sleeves mountedupon and surrounding said teeth, an arm pivoted intermediate its endsbetween said first named arms, one end of said last named arms beingoperatively connected with said supporting bar, a weight formed at theother end of said last named arm, and a stop pin arranged transverselyof the first named arms to engage said weight to limit the movement ofsaid stripping sleeves.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE \VELCH.

Witnesses W. S. GILLIS, J. PERoY DAY.

will.

